ASRock Industrial has introduced the NUC Ultra 300 BOX series, a new range of compact mini PCs designed for industrial and business use. These systems are built around Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake-H” processors and are aimed at edge AI, enterprise setups, digital signage, and factory automation rather than home or consumer use.
This new series replaces the older NUC Ultra 200 models and brings several upgrades. It features a newer hybrid CPU design, built-in NPU support for AI tasks, faster DDR5 memory, and modern connectivity options such as USB4 and PCIe Gen5 storage.
The lineup includes four barebones models: NUC BOX-325, NUC BOX-358H, NUCS BOX-325, and NUCS BOX-358H.
The standard “NUC BOX” versions use a thicker 49mm chassis and offer dual 2.5GbE LAN ports. The slimmer “NUCS BOX” models are 38mm thick and include a single 2.5GbE port. Both versions support VESA mounting, making them suitable for installation behind displays, inside kiosks, or in industrial control panels.
In terms of size, the NUC BOX models measure 117.5 × 110.0 × 49 mm, while the slimmer NUCS BOX versions measure 117.5 × 110.0 × 38 mm. This compact footprint makes them easy to deploy in space-limited environments.
You can choose between two processor options: the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 and the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H.
The Core Ultra 5 325 uses an 8-core setup with 4 Performance cores and 4 Low Power Efficient cores. It also includes Intel Graphics with 4 Xe cores, making it suitable for digital signage, light edge computing, and industrial control tasks.
The more powerful Core Ultra X7 358H features a 16-core hybrid design with 4 Performance cores, 8 Efficient cores, and 4 Low Power Efficient cores. It comes with Intel Arc B390 graphics featuring 12 Xe3 cores. This version is better suited for heavier AI workloads, real-time data processing, and more demanding edge applications.
ASRock states that the platform can deliver up to 180 AI TOPS by combining CPU, GPU, and NPU acceleration. This positions the NUC Ultra 300 BOX series as an AI-ready solution for advanced industrial and enterprise use cases.
Memory support is another strong point. These systems include two SO-DIMM slots and can support up to 128GB of DDR5 memory. The Core Ultra 5 325 models support DDR5-6400, while the Core Ultra X7 358H models support DDR5-7200. In this size category, support for 128GB brings these mini PCs closer to compact workstation-level capability.
Storage options are also modern. Each unit includes two M.2 Key M slots for NVMe SSDs and one M.2 Key E slot for Wi-Fi 7. One storage slot supports PCIe Gen5 x4 speeds, while the second runs at PCIe Gen4 x4.
With two SSD slots, users can set up RAID 0 or RAID 1 through Intel VMD, separate operating system and data storage, or handle high-speed datasets for AI and logging tasks. Support for Wi-Fi 7 also helps ensure long-term connectivity for industrial deployments.
Connectivity includes USB4 with Thunderbolt 4 support (DisplayPort 2.1 over USB4), multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port supporting DisplayPort 1.4a. Display output supports quad-display configurations via dual HDMI 2.1 ports and DisplayPort routing through Type-C, enabling up to 8K multi-display deployments.
Enterprise and security features include Intel vPro Essentials, Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT), Intel VMD RAID 0/1, and TAA compliance, reinforcing the NUC Ultra 300 BOX positioning for government, regulated industries, and enterprise environments.
ASRock has not disclosed pricing or confirmed availability timelines for the NUC Ultra 300 BOX series. Final positioning within the industrial mini PC and edge AI segment will likely depend on cost competitiveness against other Panther Lake-H embedded systems and emerging AMD Ryzen AI platforms.
Specification Comparison
| Factors | Core Ultra 5 325 | Core Ultra X7 358H |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Architecture | Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake-H) | Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake-H) |
| Core Configuration | 8 cores (4P + 4 LP-E) | 16 cores (4P + 8E + 4 LP-E) |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel Graphics (4 Xe cores) | Intel Arc B390 (12 Xe3 cores) |
| Maximum Memory | Up to 128GB DDR5-6400 | Up to 128GB DDR5-7200 |
| Storage | 2× M.2 (PCIe Gen5 + Gen4) | 2× M.2 (PCIe Gen5 + Gen4) |
| AI Acceleration | CPU + GPU + NPU | CPU + GPU + NPU (up to 180 AI TOPS) |
Source: ASRock
